A Place Where Only I Can Go
by Mad Literacy
Summary: She never expected to die. She never expected to kill. She most definitely never expected to replace a sociopath. (Semi-SI) as FemaleGaara
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

 **A/N:** So here it is...I know that I promised you guys all something a bit different and believe me I did try, but after going through more than a dozen different rough drafts. three editors, and having my computer crash on me and delete all my notes. I decided to go by the beat of my own drum. And to be blunt I'm quite happy how it turned out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and tell me what you think! I'm always here too please!

 **Summary:** She never expected to die. She never expected to kill. She most definitely never expected to replace a sociopath.

* * *

 _When I get bigger, big enough to go somewhere by myself, I want to go to a land that's far away. I want to go to a faraway island. I want to go to an island that has no people. I want to go to an island that has no pain or sadness. On that island, I can climb a tree when I want to climb, swim in the sea when I want to swim, and sleep when I want to sleep. When I think about the town without me, I feel a sense of relief. I want to go far, far away._

~ Kayo's Poem (Erased)

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Chapter 1

* * *

Even now, years later, she wonders if being here was either a mistake or the act of a cruel god.

Not many can say they lived through death, but practically fewer could say they had died and somehow wound up trapped inside the body of a baby. A baby who under no circumstance should have existed, thus she shouldn't have either.

But Gaara was always destined to be a special child, even if what she preferred were a steady peace and idyllic quiet.

However, she'd quickly learned that such naiveté was a fleeting dream that could never be. Not for her, anyways - especially when one had a psychotic demon embedded into their being, an entire village out to get you, a family who was fearful of your very existence, and a father who mercilessly sent out hardened assassins to smother you in your crib.

Yes, Gaara was only four years old and already her new life was starting to seem more and more like a living nightmare than a second chance.

* * *

(x)(x)(x)

* * *

Walking alone in the village at the dead of night was a common occurrence for her, and though in her old life this would have attracted the suspicious glances of onlookers, on this particular night, as with everyone that came before, the streets were completely deserted, with entire businesses and villagers packing up early and barricading themselves within their homes.

Gaara knew why they did this and, strangely enough, it didn't really bother her. She couldn't fault them for their insecurities of her and the stories that parents filled their children's heads with to keep them behaved and indoors at night. The ones that spoke of her relentless blood-lust towards Suna's citizens. But that's all they were — rumors.

The fact of the matter was that she's never once gone out of her way to express the attention or act on the need to kill or harm another.

Even the more begrudging shinobi her father sent after her could never make a dent past her impenetrable shield, which made it easier to simply incapacitate her would-be-killers and go about her way.

And despite Shukaku's verbal protests, she repudiated crossing the line that would see her taking a life.

Never once did she ever harbor any ill hate or resentment for her assailants as they were j just following orders; albeit twisted and immoral orders that asked them to take the life of a little girl without hesitation, but orders all the same.

This was her life now, and she accepted it as best as it would allow her to, as she had long since come to evaluate her circumstances and discovered one single terrifying truth.

She had involuntarily replaced **Sabaku no Gaara**.

Now, she had her own theories and speculations on why this had happened. Some ranging from multi-world travel to a cosmic phenomenon that saw her thrust in a world straight out of a manga page, but in the end she came to the conclusion that none of that mattered- not anymore, at least- she was here and alive and whether she wanted to be or not, she was now a part of this world.

She was stuck in this body, in a shell that wasn't her own, raised to be a key pawn that balanced the scales of power amongst each of the five great nations.

A jinchūriki.

One who was capable of holding one of the nine tailed beasts and was hated and reviled by one's own home for it. It was a thankless job, but necessary to maintain peace.

Gaara carefully walked through the dimly lit streets, always observative and wary of her surroundings. She wisely kept her face shielded with a yellow veil scarf that draped loosely around her thin neck from the soft blowing sands of the village, causing a few strains of sandy-brown hair that touched at her shoulders to obscure her features.

Her dark indigo-colored eyes that were always aloof with indifference never failed to cause some resemblance and grief from her immediate family- Temari and Kankurō in particular who saw their mothers — Karura's, soft loving face reflected through her image.

It also prompted them to remember whose fault it was that she was gone, which led to a deep strain in the relationship with her siblings.

She wrapped a hand loosely around the fabric of her clothes. A simple purple outfit — a dress which ended at the knees, with simple ninja sandals embellished on her feet.

She looked up at the sky. A full moon. Normally she would never even think to be out this late, as it was during this time of the month that the demon within her became even more restless and persistent.

However, since everyone had called it a night, she saw no harm in venturing outside during the late hours. It beat having to spend her days secluded in her bedroom with nothing to do but drowning out the manic laughter and demands of the Ichibi to feed its insatiable appetite for blood.

She never listened, but that didn't make it any more unsettling.

A part of Gaara wondered if something was wrong with her seal. Unlike most seals, which kept the host and the beast mentally separated and isolated from the other, hers seemed more corrupted and unstable, which allowed the Ichibi access to her mind without barring it from communicating with her.

When she asked her Uncle — the only person who didn't seem to harbor any true hostility towards her about her plight — he was less than forthcoming about the problem than she initially would have liked. However, he did loosely mention that Suna wasn't all that well-versed in the art of sealing compared to many of the other villages. Most of its prominent fūinjutsu masters had lost their lives during the last war, severely weakening the villages ability to design or replicate effective seals, which meant that Gaara was left with a half-baked, faulty seal that could collapse on itself at any moment. Thus making her a literal ticking time bomb that could go off without warning — Kami, no wonder most of the village wanted her dead. Wasn't that a scary thought?

It would explain why her male counterpart was much more prone to violent outbursts and sociopathic tendencies that left Suna in a literal state of panic. This deep imbalance could easily be contributed to Shukaku's, voice encouraging a child to partake in violent acts, or a village that wanted desperately to see a monster, rather than a lonely little boy curled up into a ball.

Needless to say, Gaara had no intention of going mad. Or dying, for that matter.

Because she knew the motives of the demon, she quickly learned to ignore or suppress the sand demons words and false promises. That's not to say that she didn't have her own mental scarring from the incidents, but nowhere was it nearly as bad as believing that the tanuki was her mother.

That was a thought she wouldn't even bother entertaining.

Gaara knew that Shukaku would revel in seeing her crash and burn, then succeed, until she was forced to rely on its power. Ergo, she needed an alternative for herself. The result would be her dwindling the use of the beasts sand property and replacing with something just as effective.

In conclusion, her hopes were for a technique that would not solely rely on one source, thereby limiting the Ichibi's influence over her and widening her horizon to something other than pure, uncontrollable chaos.

Stopping at the steps of a building that was more so a clay dome then a library, she beckoned and steered the vast sand that blanketed the village towards the keyhole of the locked door, allowing her entry.

This was perhaps the only place she could visit that she exactly found some level of solace in. Working on and checking out books that revolved around her education- writing, vocabulary, kanji, etc. She devoured all the information this village had to offer. Her Uncle would repeatedly comment that she was highly intelligent and resourceful for her age, though it didn't mean much by comparison.

This was a world that sprouted child prodigies easily. For Pete's sake, Sasori graduated at 7 and became a chūnin at 8. By comparison, she wasn't that special, so she didn't bother hiding her intellect.

Be that as it may, she methodically took her time scouring the multitude of scrolls and books that encompassed every shelf and crook that littered the building. Her eyes narrowed, trying to find her prize amidst a swarm of various titles and publications. Until at last her sight zeroed in on her objective, located on a thin little paperback. It was buried on top of the highest shelf at the back corner of the room.

Carting out a ladder and stretching her arms out to its limits while nearly losing her balance in the process, she clasps the dusty old book that reek of age and must ripped and wrinkled with one or two tares by time.

Giving off a mischievous gleam, a half smile grazes her lips as she unfastens the cover, automatically scrunching up her nostrils as a few pesky dust particles threaten to invade her sinuses as she begins to read through the printed words etched in front of her, regaling chakra control and meditation techniques.

Something Gaara quickly took the hint at was the strong encouragement for children to be bred into shinobi at an early age, so it came as no shock-value to learn that she might become one herself.

It would be expected as the container of the Ichibi and the child of the Yondaime Kazekage. She had no choice in the matter - but that didn't mean she couldn't have a say in how she got there.

She wasn't looking for acknowledgment from the village, though having her families wouldn't be too much of a nuisance.

She didn't desire the grandeur the title of a Kage procured or the hassle it brought with it, and she sure as hell didn't want to attract the attention of 10 highly inept missing-nin who wanted to capture her for some nefarious purpose. She'd get stronger and learn to tame the beast within her. One day, if she was perhaps lucky enough to survive this whole mess…

She'd like to reach that steady peace and idyllic quiet — that wouldn't be too bad of a pipe dream, right?

* * *

 **A/N:** I know some people will kick me for this...but (eh)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

* * *

 _Only the weak are cruel._

 _Gentleness can only be expected from the strong._

~ Leo Buscagila

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Chapter 2

* * *

Shukaku didn't know what to think of the newest meatbag he been sealed into — that was perhaps what irked him the most. Normally, the routine was simple; he'd be sealed into a worthless human, and they would slowly but surely be ostracized by other equally worthless humans, until at last, his hosts mind would gradually become weak enough for him to exploit — to spread honey words of doubt which would inevitably lead to their own falling.

This time around he'd been put into a child. It should have been easy, and ironically, child's play to contend with. Irritatingly enough, it was anything but. The girl was not by any means normal! The meatbag didn't act in any way an average child would have given her situation.

Why hadn't she gone mad? Acted out? Done something, anything! He'd seen full grown adults who had caved in within in weeks, dealing with far less pressure then what she had endured. Yet, she continued to act indifferently toward everything.

What's worse, she barely drew on her sand capabilities, keeping it dormant and only using it for minor circumstance. It was driving him crazy. His whole plan hinged on her being isolated enough for him to take advantage of her loneliness and have her rely solely on his power for support.

The problem was, she didn't care. She ignored the way the other meatbags treated her, content with being alone. His freedom was unraveling before his very eyes and there was little to nothing that he could do to stop it. Trying to communicate with the little meatbag had heeded zero results, as any approach was stopped dead in its tracks. The girl downright disregarded him!

Even as her father sent assassins to smother her in her sleep, she continued to remain apathetic towards the whole situation. Shukaku was furious and raged for days. Not that it changed anything- he was still trapped inside this hellish prison.

Even so, despite this setback, Shukaku was cunning. He'd bide his time and wait for the perfect opportunity to arise and escape. Because eventually, the girl would come to him.

And when she did, he'd never let her go.

* * *

(x)(x)(x)

* * *

Gaara saw the eyes glance at her for the fifth time, the tension that hung in the air since her arrival at the academy ever potent. Not that the young girl was privy to that fact, mind you, as these days more often than not you'd find her with her nose shoved squarely in a book, each differing from the last.

All the same, she chose to ignore them, finding comfort in her own devices while still remaining cautious if anyone made a move against her. It was at this time that her father had decided to come up on the plate. He was guarded by two others to greet the new students, defusing what would have likely been a tense situation by commencing his speech about Suna's perseverance, greatness, and the protection of the village. By doing so he thereby deescalated and calmed the restless parents who had little choice but to allow their children to enter the academy with an otherwise dangerous monster. That monster being Gaara.

For it was only by the lone presence of their Kazekage did the people finally relent and fall silent in their complaints. Because of him, they were confident that in the event that a problem did arise with the sand demon, their leader's famed Gold Dust would be enough to effectively quell Shukaku rampage. This was accomplished by layering his sand gold atop the sand controlled by the beast. As gold is heavier than sand, it made it more difficult for the creature to manipulate, thus slowing, if not stopping, the sand's movement entirely.

Mind you, this problem had never occurred with Gaara. Yet it remained a small comfort for the people of Suna, who in the past have had their homes terrorized by former jinchūriki, who could not control Shukaku's power.

No one knew this more than Gaara, who had read up on the issue and was aware of the people's hostility.

It wasn't long until she found herself in line with other first-year children, a majority of whom were already giving her the cold shoulder, having been warned preemptively by their parents to stay away from her and avoid contact. So without having said a word, Gaara found herself isolated by her peers and generally well disliked. The teachers had come to similar conclusions, deciding that it would be best to ignore her presence entirely.

This attitude was more or less the reason why she avoided public places and only came out at night. Adults were one thing, kids were another. Children generally tended to copy their parents and elders to an extent, this current situation being a perfect example and a predictable outcome. It was precisely why Gaara didn't hold it against them — jinchūriki weren't that well received in the public image and there was a good reason behind their wariness of her, with past hosts having run amok.

No, she didn't resent them, but she wasn't going to excuse their actions either.

In the end, they were all grouped up and separated between teachers. When it was her turn for placement, Gaara stepped out of the crowd and walked over to her instructor and the line of students behind him, all of whom didn't appear to be the least bit amused that they had drawn the shortest stick.

After delivering a few careful instructions and orders, they were directed them inside, where she and the other students were allowed to sit wherever they wanted. Gaara melded into the nearest back seat, where she hoped to disappear into the mass of nameless faces. Unsurprisingly, no one sat next to her.

For the rest of the day, lessons proceeded as normal. Beginning with basic history, math, kanji, and physical education — having practiced all these things beforehand over the last couple of years, Gaara quickly grew more bored and restless with each passing course. Choosing to relieve her boredom, she instead chose to read to pass the time; whether or not her teacher noticed her lack of interest remained a mystery. Though she assumed that if they had any grievances, they wouldn't have made them known.

When the day ended, Gaara walked out of class to meet her uncle at the front of the school building, where he said he'd be waiting to pick her up.

She kept to herself, drowning out the screaming children who were preparing to leave. She was almost out the door when she heard a loud commotion, followed by the thunderous heels of numerous children who had gathered around a tight-knit circle where she could distinctly hear crying.

A part of Gaara didn't want to get involved for worry of making the situation escalate. However, if someone was in trouble and getting hurt, it wasn't in her nature to leave them be. Shifting the backpack she had on tighter around her shoulders, Gaara made her way through the crowd of people. Because the children were too invested in what was occurring before them, none of them put her in their sights.

When she got close enough to see, it was not what she expected. She had simply figured that an accident had occurred, yet what she was seeing now begged to differ. On the ground surrounded by three older boys was a little brown haired girl who was kneeling on the floor with puffy red eyes indicating that she been crying as the older boys continue to mock and berate her.

"Oi, it looks as if the mouse is about to cry," one of the boys sneered.

The others agreed, pointing and laughing. "We don't need babies at the academy, go home. You'll never be a real ninja."

Gaara frowned. The scene she was witnessing was putting a knot in her stomach. It was disgusting. She hated it- when the weak were belittled and preyed upon, especially someone who appeared to no older than five years old, much like herself. The difference being that Gaara could defend herself and take all of the taunts that have been made a common norm in her life. But seeing it done to someone else made it all the more easy to intervene when it looked as if no one else would.

When one of the three reached out a hand to grab the girl, Gaara was quick to step forward to shield the child from any more harm. She was pleased to see all three pairs of eyes widen in recognition of her.

"Stop," Gaara said, not ordered or forceful, nor was it commanding. It was a simple request made without a hint of feeling or ounce of expression to deter her mood.

The crowd grew deathly silent and the atmosphere seemed to plummet.

The boys turned to each other, then to the other children, unsure of how to proceed. She was the girl that their parents had told them to stay away from, but from they'd seen she didn't look at all that special or scary. Just weird.

One of the kids who were brave to rub off his initial shock gathered enough courage to scowl at her despite the slight tremble in his posture. "And if we don't," The boy said shakily, with false bravado.

Gaara wasn't impressed and made it known, "I'm glad you asked."

It's true that she didn't enjoy using her sand and was unable to in large quantities due to the lack of gorge her counterpart almost always retained. However, that didn't mean she couldn't use her surroundings to her advantage. The buildings, the streets, strains of clothing on citizens and the very air all had fragments of sand embedded into them. All it took was concentration and a bit of a persuasive push to bring them to the surface, which was steadily becoming easier to manage. Partly due to the meditation she had rigorously performed on herself that slowly chipped at the violent tendencies her sand was well known to bring out.

This case called for something more than a stern talking to. Some action had to be taken and a lesson had to be learned.

Before anyone could act, a burst of sand emerged from the very earth, enveloping the trio in its grasp and encasing them in a large mound of chakra-infused sand. The crowd gasped as the boys' faces morphed into horror. They futilely struggled in an attempt to escape, but to no avail; they were trapped and completely at her mercy.

"It doesn't feel very good, does it?" Gaara said with a small smile. "To be powerless. Feeble. Weak. incapable of being nothing less than prey."

The boys stopped in their squirming to stare at what they had first assumed to be an ordinary first year. Now they knew better, for what their parents warned them of was true. No one that age should be able to use chakra the way she did.

'She really was a monster.' They thought, a belief shared by a large majority of the spectators who had seen what had transpired. They were steadily steering clear of the confrontation that had unfolded.

Gaara continued, "Picking on those smaller than you, boasting of your superiority until one of greater strength comes and belittles that power."

She tightened her grip the sand, contorting the boys into an uncomfortable position, where it became harder and more strenuous to breathe. "It's pathetic and ugly to watch."

Tilting her head she eyed all those who had willingly watched and done nothing to stop the bullying as she turned to the little girl who had unintentionally become the cause for this whole incident pick herself off the floor and stare at Gaara, mouth agape.

"But they are merely the virus, and you all are the symptoms. The authority they wield, the weight and might they flaunt are only as strong as what you give to them. When you do nothing, you encourage their behavior."

Saying her piece, Gaara released her hold on the boys, letting them fall to the ground and stagger away in fright. The girl sighed. "You all wish to become shinobi, but you don't know the first thing of what it takes. When you don the title, it's not simply about fighting for the prestige of one's village. It's about fighting for the right reasons- a reason that you're willing to risk dying for."

Gaara turned away, leaving the children to contemplate her words.

Who, or precisely what was Gaara?

* * *

(x)(x)(x)

* * *

"Ah, Gaara-sama. How was your first day? Did you enjoy it?" Yashamaru asked with a smile, as she took his hand and they began their walk back home.

Gaara frowned for effect, "I swatted three pests today."

"Really, now?"

The girl nodded, tone nonchalant. "They were annoying, so I squashed them."

"…I see." Yashamaru said with a strained smile. He was hoping that his niece would have made at least one new friend, but it appeared that wasn't the case. "Did anything else happen?"

She shrugged. "I saved a mouse and gave an amazing speech." She said with the utmost seriousness.

"…Well, what matters is that you had fun."

Gaara didn't comment and Yashamaru didn't ask any more questions after that.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well here it is! Thanks to all those who favorited/followed/reviewed! Seriously, it means a lot!

If there are any suggestions, please be free to leave some


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

* * *

 _No good deed goes unpunished_

~ Clare Boothe Luce

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Chapter 3

* * *

Gaara sat down in front of the desk of the Kazekage, her father; who was staring down at his youngest child with a stern look of disapproval.

It hadn't even been a full week, yet his daughter had already been involved in a school altercation that had rocked the village to its foundation. With several eyewitnesses claiming that Garra had used her sand on other students.

By now parents of both sides of the spectrum: The victims of Gaara's assault and the bystanders, were calling for the girl's expulsion.

The Kazekage leaned back in his chair and looked at her. The jinchuriki of the sand, his flesh and blood, Karura's daughter.

She was so similar and yet so different from his late wife. Sharing virtually the same appearance. But that's where the resemblance ended. Where his wife had been a kind and gentle woman who cared deeply for those around her. Gaara was apathetic and cold. Showing little emotional attachment to anything or anyone other than her uncle.

Apart of him, the one he consistently tried to bury, blamed him for the way she was by consistently reminding him of his meddling in her upbringing - Creating a ripple in the relationship between his children and sending armed shinobi after her life.

To most this would be seen as cruelty at its finest. To Rasa it was a counter-measure.

Better to lose control of the Sand demon, where he could be around to subdue it then a neighboring land looking for an opportunity to go to war.

If Gaara couldn't learn to control the Ichibi within the walls of Suna what hope did she ever have of taking on missions outside the village?

Rasa sighed. Despite his misgivings about his daughter and the demon that dwelled within her, he was not a fool. He was diligent in his duties and made sure he had all the facts laid bare in front of him, before playing judge, jury, and executioner. That is why he wore the hat after all.

In the end after much, much persuasion; it was discovered that Gaara had interfered on behalf of a fellow student, a first year named Matsuri who had been the cause of the whole debacle and victim of bullying by the three boys who were swift to place blame of the incident on Gaara.

Needless to say, once the truth had come out and the story the boys had fabricated began to untwine, they were quick to recant and were placed on immediate disciplinary suspension.

In was a small punishment, but the school administration and even members of his own council had begged for leniency on behalf of the boys and he had granted if only to settle the matter permanently.

This however didn't stop the fear many still held over Gaara's return. It had been a problem before, but given time the situation would have brewed over and the people would have grudgingly except the girl.

Not now, never again.

Parents were uncomfortable with the idea of their children coming so close to danger in an institution that was meant to keep them safe and cultivate their growth. Gaara's presence hindered this and after such blatant use of force used against children who couldn't even craft chakra, many parents threatened to withdraw their child entirely from the shinobi program less the jinchuriki be dealt with,

What a mess.

"Gaara." The Kazekage started, tone light. "Do you know why I have called you here today?"

Gaara blinked, but nods slowly.

"It's because I saved the mouse and people are upset over it…" She trails off ever so slightly, unsure.

The Kazekage is not amused.

"It's because you used your sand to save a student, a first year named Matsuri, but in doing so you attacked others students in the process." His voice was firm and expression serious. But the Kazekage wasn't sure if Gaara completely understood the severity of her actions.

Her face continued to remain perfectly blank.

The Kazekage sighed ruefully. "They've asked for your expulsion Gaara." He continued, clipping his hands together. "The civilian leaders are worried of another incident like this one occurring again and the school board and faculty are threatening to host a strike out of fear of another outburst from you." The Kazekage's frowned. "Do you understand now?"

Gaara did of course. She wasn't a fool. She knew every action has consequences. Hers being much steeper than the average persons. Despite her good intentions she'd had forgotten to factor in how others would interpret her actions.

She wanted to protect someone who was visibly being hurt and when she took the time to examine the situation and notice that others wouldn't assist, she had no choice, but to step in and act.

To save someone who couldn't save themselves. .

"I did…what I believed to be right." Gaara said simply.

"I see." The Kazekage nodded, an invisible twitch threatening to split his lips.

Perhaps she was more like her mother than he assumed.

He had guessed as much. In the end Gaara was still a mystery, a puzzle that had too many pieces attached to her. In a way she was too mature for her age.

Be that as it may.

"I cannot idly excuse your actions." The Kazekage spoke calmly. "Whatever your motives may have been, be it good or evil - the fact still remains you used your sand on those who couldn't yet weave chakra. Violating one the academy's core rules." Rasa frowned. "So I have no choice, but to abide by the will of the Suna people and expel you from the Academy."

Silence.

If Gaara was wrathful of his decision she didn't show it, only mildly tilting her head in understanding of the ruling.

"That said." Rasa continued. "You are still an invaluable asset to the village and Suna's strength as its Jinchuriki. Your skills shall not be wasted and your talents will not rot away within an idle life. You will learn to perfect them, master them, and control" Rasa paused giving her a critical stare with what she could only make out as hesitation and guilt? "You…you will be placed in Anbu Gaara. There you will be trained to be the weapon the village needs."

* * *

(x)(x)(x)

* * *

 _She'll miss these moments._

"More."

Yashamaru smiled, taking the now empty plate and refilling it for what had to be the third time that night. "You must have been hungry Hime." The man said, placing another helping serving of food into his niece's plate.

Gaara shrugged. Gladly accepting the plate once it had been filled and proceeding to scoop it to her mouth with a spoon.

She wasn't conversationalist, preferring to remain quiet and docile and let Yashamaru do most of the talking with the occasional gesture here and there from her to assure the man that she was indeed listening to him and his witty puns.

"I heard you met with Kazekage-sama today." Yashamaru said clearing the table and taking the opportunity to talk to her about her day.

Gaara paused in between her meal, eyebrows closed together in mulling over a proper response to that. She could lie and let events proceed out as such or she could go the honest route and tell the truth

She was never a good liar to begin with.

"Yes." She eventually said, continuing to take a bite out of her food. "He wanted to talk to me about the academy."

Yashamaru's face turned serious. "I see."

The girl nodded hesitating briefly, seeing where the conversation was steering towards and how ugly it could get.

Being a close advisor to the Kazekage, Yashamaru was probably privy aware of her situation

Yashamaru waited patiently for Gaara to finish her supper, despite his anticipation for her to continue.

'One bite, then two.' The man smiled. Glad that the girl he's come to care for enjoyed his cooking.

Gaara licked a bit of strew that clung to the top of her lips, her eyes spacing out momentarily until coming into focus.

Then she spoke.

"…I was expelled." Gaara replied with blunt indifference. Gaara really wasn't one for subtlety.

Yashamaru blinked, stiffening in a state of shock at the girls words.

Ah, so he hadn't known of Rasa's decision. Not that Gaara cared. She was too invested on savoring her dinner.

She ran her fingers in the bottom of the bowl, taking in the last of the droplets and licking them clean. Tasty.

"What do you mean you were expelled?"

Yashamaru latched onto her shoulder, panic evident in his voice that made her feel a little anxious. She's had never seen her uncle look so rattled? No-afraid would be a better word for this.

It was such a surprise that Gaara didn't answer right away, prompting Yashamaru to shake her a little to get a reply. What he heard left him with a hollow feeling that turned his fears into reality."

"Kazekage-sama ordered my expulsion because people were really angry at what I had did." Gaara frowned. "He also said I would join something called Anbu and wouldn't be able to live here with you anymore." She finished blankly, through there was a sadness to her tone that only her uncle who knew her better than anyone else could decipher and this alone made his heart hurt much more for this little girl.

He hugged her, tightly. Adding more to Gaara's already mounting surprise.

"Yashamaru…?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Gaara…" The man whispered over and over.

Gaara swallowed, an itch at her throat. She knew what this was and the moment Rasa had spoken those cursed words it had made it that much difficult to believe.

It was a miracle that her façade hadn't shattered in front of the Kage as she digested his words with bitterness.

Anbu-Black Op's.

Gaara wasn't afraid or at least tried fruitfully to believe that this was a good thing. She could receive the proper training she needed and not wither away in an academy that held nothing of value for her.

Still…seeing Yashamari. Her Uncle. Her only real family cry for her brought a pain to her chest she that she had thought long forgotten.

"It's okay Yashamaru." Gaara said softly with an uncharacteristic amount of affection in returning his hug. "This isn't goodbye."

She said with conviction.

She said with a confidence that she did not have.

She said with a smile that was the brightest she's ever shed. .

Because deep-down, she feared that the next time they met.

She wouldn't be the same.

* * *

 **A/N:** From this point on things are about to get a whole lot more grizzly!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

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 _In the end, people should be judged by their actions_

 _since in the end_

 _it was actions that defined everyone._

~ Nicholas Sparks

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Chapter 4

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"…What the hell was Kazekage-sama thinking? Letting that _thing_ into Anbu?"

 _Whispers…_

"I heard it was because of that Academy fiasco. Rumors are that it tried eat one of the students and killed anyone that got in its way."

 _Whispers._

"Who cares? It will make are job a hell of a lot easier. Let's let the killing-machine do the grunt of the dirty work. It's not like anyone's going to miss it if it winds up ten feet under."

 _So many whispers._

"You think we'd get a bonus if we offed it? Think about it, we'd be considered heroes."

Gaara breathed out softly through her nose, doing her best to ignore the unwarranted murmurs and fear she could sense radiating throughout room as she made her way past the many Anbu that dotted the bunker, holding what was to be her new uniform and the packed lunch Yashamaru had prepared for her just before a group of shinobi escorted her into the underground passageway that connected to an extensive network of tunnels and rooms.

It was here where she was expected to live. Her stay was to be long-term and unpleasant. Her daily life outside of the occasional mission was to be planned and monitored. This was her prison and there was no getting out.

"…Were almost there." Droned a Rabbit-Masked Anbu, who guided her along past a corridor of similar looking hallways and rooms.

Anxiously Gaara wonders if she'll be given a map of this facility. So ever the precarious girl, she took to leaving a bread trail using a slice of bread her uncle had stored away for her. If the Anbu was miffed by this bizarre behavior he didn't make his opinions known or rather Gaara couldn't see it due to the mask concealing his features. But every now and again she'd note that the Anbu would throw her quick side glances, mumbling something incoherent under his breath about _'rookies'_ and _'mop duty?_ '

When they came across what was to be here new quarters, she was met with a dimly lit clay room void of any memorabilia's and comforts of privacy that a room offered. Just an uncomfortable looking bed and a dresser all crafted from similar material.

It felt hollow, all of it did.

"You'll be meeting with the squad today. Get settled and meetup in training room C once you're done." Noted Anbu Rabbit as Gaara stepped into the room carrying a duffel bag filled with the essentials. "If you have any other questions now is the time to speak up-"

The masked Anbu stopped abruptly, his posture stiffening as if he was only now recalling who he was speaking to and flinched at the uninterested stare Gaara bore into him.

"W-we'll you get the idea." He at last finished.

With a whispered reminder of the time, the Anbu made a hasty get away, leaving Gaara stumped at his rushed exit.

Once she completed packing in all her valuables and busied herself sorting them into their proper drawers, including clothing, trinkets, and toothbrush, Gaara decided that it would be best if she began to get prepared. Thus she removed her garments and took out what was meant to resemble the Anbu uniform for the Hidden Sand village, only that it didn't. Unfortunately there were none that were fashioned to fit Gaara's petite form, which led to the awkward arrangements being made to procure an ensemble that would be best suited for her.

Gaara sighed as she stared into the mask she had been given and let out a sad laugh at the irony.

An _'Oni'_ Mask, The face of a demon.

She didn't know whether this was done intentionally or not, but it hardly mattered. She was no longer Gaara. The name had been taken from her the moment she was tossed into Anbu, no…maybe even further than that. Her very existence had been a mistake, her own mother had died prematurely giving her life and a demon had been sealed into her without her being able utter so much as a word of protest.

 _'I never had much of a chance did I uh?'_ Gaara thought bitterly, letting a tired breath leave her. But that could be said for all Jinchuriki. It was a duel sword; a great honor and a despicable curse.

She placed the mask on, ignoring the discomfort it brought and the ugliness she felt because of it. It was an entirely new look; A black Anbu cloak, tailored for her with a porcelain mask modeled after an 'Oni.' She hated it, but ceased in making any more complaints and proceeded to step outside the door of her room. And into her new life.

Then she stopped and looked around until finally settling on a definite fact. _'She was lost.'_

* * *

(x)(x)(x)

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"Uh oh somebody's in trouble!" sang Jackal, the only female member of Rabbit's team and in his opinion the most annoying. The moment the rookie hadn't shown up at the designated time Rabbit knew nothing good would come of it and that somebody was going to take the heat. And by the way Jackal was taunting and his Captain was angrily pacing in circles, it was good chance that it was going to be him.

"You had one job. One single job!" His Captain angrily huffed, marching back and forth fuming. His intimidating Wolf mask and even more terrifying size making him a force to be reckoned with. Meaning that Rabbit did not want to get on his bad side today.

Wolf stopped and turned slowly to face Rabbit who jumped as his Captain had locked eyes onto his next prey.

"And you couldn't even do that **right**?" Wolf snarled and Rabbit was glad that he was wearing a Mask at that moment. After all Wolves could sense fear and would rip you to shreds if they saw it.

Rabbit licked his slips, trying his damndest to ignore the occasional twitch the Captain made for his kunai or how the rest of his squad was do doubt placing bets whether or not Wolf would snap his beck. "W-Well you see…"

"Remember to choose your words wisely." Wolf growled. The old saying, _'They may very well be your last._ ' Was left unsaid.

Rabbit wanted to break down crying.

Then the door swung open and everyone looked up from placing bets on their teammate's eminent demise to see a little girl enter. And the atmosphere dramatically plummeted.

Gone was the light hearted, care-free formality of a squad that has battled through the roughest the Anbu Corps had to give and in its place was a cold reservation. Everyone had heard the stories surrounding Suna's infamous jinchuriki. And a lesser number, those who've served the village for nearly a decade, recall the havoc previous Jinchuriki's of the past have unleashed.

Nobody made a move as the masked girl stepped into the room and walked forward, either unaware or uncaring of the hushed conversations taking place behind her back as each of them made their own assessments on this new recruit.

"So happy that you've finally decided to join us." Wolf said giving the girl a once over, his attention sternly on the child as he propped both hands behind his back. "Don't make it a habit."

The silence held for a mere moment.

"Hai." The girl replied without an ounce of emotion. "I…got lost."

There was no noticeable reaction to her words, with their masks doing an excellent job to hide their expressions. But some of the least mature of the group did lose their composure surrounding the news and settled for a chorus of snickers.

"Is that so…" Wolf turned, very _very_ slowly to Rabbit who recoiled at the contact, doing an impressive effort not to flee. "Do tell. How did you find your way down here?" It wasn't uncommon for fresh trainees to lose themselves in the web of the facility, Wolf himself would admit to having gotten lost a hand full of time in his long career due to the intricate networks of paths and tunnels.

The girl responded with removing a half slice of crusted bread from beneath her cloak. "Crumbs." She said with blunt indifference or at least it sounded like it. God why did it sound so lifeless. "It helped."

This time the group could not hold their disbelief and broke out into a flurry of laughter and indignation's.

"I see." Wolf sighed, cursing his luck for getting handpicked to deal with this mess. "As I said before just be on time." Wolf finished, noting a nod at the order, surprised at her straightforwardness. From what he'd been told, the girl should have been unmanageable. Contrary to what he's seen so far, she's exhibited none of the raw hostility that had been reported,

Once things had settled down Gaara had lined up in a column with the rest of the group. Their Captain _Wolf_ stood at the front, arms crossed beneath his chest. Gaara thought he was taking his role too seriously.

"Alright have we gotten it out of are systems?" Wolf growled referring the earlier outburst as he released small traces of killing intent. "I don't want any more disruptions! Were anbu not Academy children. Anyone who forgets that will find themselves personally dealing with me!"

"Y-yes sir!" answered the group. Gaara didn't need to be a mind reader to know that he would follow through with that threat.

"See that you all remember that." Wolf said, turning his attention to Gaara. "Jinchuriki." Gaara restrained herself from wincing. "Let's see what you can do. You'll be competing in a training spar so that I can gauge your abilities."

Gaara nodded, reminding herself that whatever happened she could not let herself fall into a temptation to kill.

"Alright who's up?" Wolf asked, watching a bit mused as an awkward silence descend on his highly trained elite group of killers - who if all the clues pointed in the right direction - looked put off at the mere thought of picking a fight with this particular person. "Don't tell me you're all scared of this one little girl?"

An unsaid _'yes'_ went through the minds of every man and women.

Wolf was not please. "If someone doesn't grow a pair at the count of three, I'm going to start calling names." He warned.

Everyone grew worryingly still. Then turned to his and her neighbor.

"Three...Two...One!"

 _Well in that case._

Everyone took a step back.

"Ah! Rabbit good for you to volunteer. You're a patriot to the cause son." Wolf said with a hint of pride in his tone.

Anbu Rabbit looked up in alarm as there was a sudden movement. Searching left and right and sideways until turning around to discover that his teammates had all, but abandoned him to the wolves.

He sent them a betrayed look.

 _'…Why?'_

Unfortunately, they could not meet his gaze.

 _'It was the only way.'_

"Come on Rabbit, get a move on. We don't have all day! The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get the blood off the walls."

Rabbit shivered, resigning himself to a gruesome death, ' _I'm doomed!'_

Both fighters stood across from the other with spectators once again placing bets on their companion's suspected chance of survival. The odds were not looking in his favor.

"Alright." Wolf clapped his hands together. "Now I want a good clean fight you two. Shinobi hand to hand combat! Jutsu are allowed, no usage of deadly force." He gave Gaara a pointed look. "Understood! Now make the seal!"

Rabbit was panicking, hard, but managed to bring his hand up in the half-seal. Swallowing nervously as his opponent followed suit.

"Begin!"

Rabbit didn't think, he just acted as he brought his hands together to begin a series of hand signs. He wasn't going to die by the hands of this _monste_ r!

"Fūton: Scattering Flower Dance!"

Everyone watched in eager anticipation as a aroma of blossoms dotted the room in its fragrance and a cyclone of petals descended upon the Jinchuriki who had remained perfectly detached throughout all of it.

No one breathed. No one spoke. No one moved when the attack impacted.

And then –

Everyone gasped.

 **Dread**

 _Sand_

 **Dread**

 _Sand_

 **Dread**

 _Sand_

The very air – grew stiff with an _overwhelming_ amount of **killing intent…**

A feeling of _terror_ took Rabbit and churned his stomach as all hope of victory were dashed and in it's place was a strong compulsion to flee.

An Unending stream of sand scattered around the room. And in its center, wearing the mask of a demon, but the form of a little girl was _Gaara._

Rabbit stood frozen in his tracks, motionless to the sheer aura of despair.

Then it began to walk forward.

 _One Step_

 _Two Step_

 _Three step._

Akin to a demented spirit wishing drag ones soul to hell, she came –

 _Closer, Closer, and closer._

There was blatant disinterest in in the way she moved. Oozing death, but never exalting herself in it. The behavior resembling an annoyed parent being burdened with the task of reprimanding a disobedient child who didn't know his place.

She stretched out a hand, grains of sand clinging to its master and decorating her in its material causing a hideous sight to behold.

Soon she was upon him, fingers mere inches from his face. She titled her head.

Then several different swords embedded themselves into her skin.

All of them targeted for clear kill areas, each blade belonging to an Anbu who had come to prevent the needless bloodshed of a comrade. All blades seemingly having stopped short of actually striking flesh and doing any damage. Being intercepted by a barrier of sand that had latched onto every Anbu.

Not one person moved. Standing still like silent statues as Gaara turned to face each person. Her sand drifting around the room, clinging to them as if tasting their ill-intentions.

From the floor, Rabbit stared up at his would be killer. Somewhat mortified and confused as to why the monster of Sunagakure was petting him.

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 **A/N:** What's this? A new update at a reasonable time? Ha! I'm just messing with you, but I do plan on trying to put out more of these like an addict!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I hope everyone had a great holiday! I know I did, that's why I'm updating this later then I wanted, but oh well...

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

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 _Not all monsters look like monsters._

 _There are some that carry their monstrosity inside._

~ Fredrik Backman

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Chapter 5

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 _The Village of Mumei_

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Compared to the other villages of the Land of Wind, the village of Mumei was a small settlement that was home to less than a handful of people. Everyone knew everyone and because of that a strong bond had been formed between each villager throughout the generations.

The children played, the elders gossiped, and the men and women would try their best and plant what they could in the vast humid environment that surrounded them. It wasn't an easy life, nor did it offer much in return for their hard work, but it was theirs and they were content with that.

Among the villagers however, was a new face. A little girl with sand-brown hair which framed her cute looking appearance, and indigo colored eyes that took the cake. She wore a simple outfit that matched most of the villagers, with a unique light tallow scarf draped loosely around her neck.

In her hands she carried a box filled with produce that was twice her size as she gripped it tightly in a manner that many of the villagers couldn't help but smile at.

"Here you go Baa-chan." The girl said softly, handing the items to an older women who offered a thankful smile in return in appreciation for the girls help. The demure and quiet way she would reply to their question was heart-stopping levels of adorable.

In spite of only appearing a few short months ago as an orphan without a home to call her own the girl had managed to worm her way into the good graces of every villager. Lending a helpful hand when it was needed and occupying her time giving back to the people who took her in. She truly was an angel.

"Kyo-chan! Come play with us!" Shouted a young girl with brown hair. Behind her were a crowd of other children who repudiated the girl's actions by gesturing to the newcomer of their small village.

The older women chuckled. "You should join them, Kyo-chan." She said to the little girl who looked uncomfortable with the very thought of interacting with children her own age. Then again she was always shy when it came to others and it was only recently that she started opening up.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Kyo deadpanned.

With a wryly smile the older woman gave the child a light push, much to her dismay. "It'll be fine, go have fun."

Kyo didn't look so sure, but relented, unable to refuse. With no lack of enthusiasm on her part the girl took one painful step forward, as if she was being led to her own execution. It was amusing sight to say the least.

It also helped play into what the the woman and many others in the village thought of the girl - a little awkward, but willing to do anything to make others happy. The woman nodded. ' _Kids like Kyo ought to be just that, kids.'_

Off in the not too far distance Kyo was in the process of being bombarded on all sides by a group of boys and girls. The brown haired girl who had started all of this, Takuya, was keeping a close eye on her new friend and making sure she didn't run off.

"Yay! Now that Kyo-chan is here we can get started!" A boy with spiky blue hair rooted, pumping his fist in the air in excitement. He was the oldest of them, so that made him leader by default despite only being seven years old.

Even so they all appeared to be great friends, as the others laughed at his behavior. There were only six kids within the group, kyo included, and were between the ages of four to seven years old. Three boys and two girls.

"What are you blabbering on about this time Hiro?" Kyo said in an emotionless voice, though if you listened hard enough you could slowly start to hear a building irritation toward the boy's attitude. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Hiro who smile only widened at getting a reaction out of the mysterious cool girl.

The boy gasped, clutching his chest exaggeratedly. "You wound me Kyo-chan! Whatever could I have done to earn such slight?

"You were born. "The girl retorted dryly.

"Cut it out you guys." Takuya stepped in between the two friends before they could start budding heads again. "Where supposed to be having fun."

For some reason Hiro enjoyed getting a rise out of Kyo who if Takuya was being perfectly honest had the personality of a card board box. Though she hated when the boy and girl started to clash in a battle of words, it was nice to see Kyo show some semblance of being an actual human being from time to time.

"Fine, Fine." Hiro sighed, pulling a sheepish smirk. Whatever you say Little Miss Peacemaker."

Takuya merely smiled at the nickname. If anything it was an honor, one she fully invested herself to. "So what's on the agenda today oh fearless leader!" The brunette taunted, not backing down.

Hiro grinned, "Hide and Seek." The maturest of children's games, after much debating on the order of who would be seeker, a game of rock paper scissors ensues and Kyo falls prey to the infamous snare of scissors. And of course it's Hiro who beats her.

"Better luck next time Kyo-chan." The boy smirks, flexing his two fingers back and forth in a taunting manner. Kyo felt livid, but did not complain nor did she show her agitation at the loss. She just wanted to get the game over with.

Placing a hand over her eyes she began to count as the other kids scattered throughout the village to hide. All the while the girl sighed, wondering just how exactly her life came to be this...

* * *

 _Several Months Earlier_

* * *

"…Another village was destroyed today, not too far from the last one." a shinobi wearing a wolf mask stood in the Kazekage's office. Dark eyes, with a stern look, continued to read a scroll delivered to him by one of the multiple spies that he had implanted all across Kaze no Kuni. "We believe it to be the same culprit from the latest three incidents."

Rasa frowned, recently there have been reports of numerous attacks orchestrated on smaller villages dotting the Land of Wind by an unknown perpetrator, despite the lack of physical evidence found at the scene of the massacred villages, Rasa already had a good idea on who might be responsible for these string of events.

"Where there any survivors?" The Kazekage asked with an air of seriousness, rolling the scroll back up.

"No, as with the others, every man, women, and child were killed." Wolf replied. "Additionally some of the villagers appeared to have been disemboweled and skinned alive just before they died. By the way there bodies were arranged it was almost as if someone had been trying to create…"

"- A puppet." Rasa finished, pinching bridge of his nose as his hands tightened around the scroll.

Wolf waited before continuing.

"Do you think he's finally made his move?" The Anbu said slowly, gauging the Kage's reaction. "It's been years since he left, but it's only now that he's made his presence known."

"You don't think it's a coincidence" Rasa stated calmly, he's known the masked Anbu long enough to know that he didn't make guesses unless he was certain that they were accurate.

"It's possible." Wolf shrugged. "Sunagakure is getting weaker, there is no denying that. We don't have the man power and influence we once did and that breeds the perfect conditions for a madmen to take advantage of.

The Kazekage grimaced, there was no denying the man's words. Perhaps long ago when the village system had first been conceptualized the Five Great Hidden Villages stood as equals. But years of warfare and constant fighting had taken their toll on all of them. Times were changing. The game board was shifting in an all new direction. And the Sand was on the losing side.

Following the last war, their Daimyo started outsourcing missions previously given to Suna to other neighboring villages, namely Konoha. With the loss of their funding, the village was forced to rely on their Kazekage's gold dust, but it was ultimately decided that Suna would need to improve on the individual strength of its shinobi rather than sheer numbers.

It was why the Fourth put all his expectations on Gaara and the One-Tail's sealed within her. He hoped that she would become a valuable asset…

 _'Where did it all go wrong?'_

Rasa sighed, now wasn't the time for regrets. Regardless of what happened, he was a leader first. He'd defend his home by any means. "Wolf I want this matter settled quietly. Word can't get out that Suna is incapable of handling one its own rouge ninja."

"Does that mean…?"

Rasa nodded. "I'm assigning you the task of hunting down the traitor, take as many men as you need. Failure is not an option."

"I understand. Anyone you have in mind."

The Kazekage hesitated for only a brief second, before answering. "Take Gaara with you."

If Wolf wasn't wearing a mask the Kazekage would have been greeted to the rare sight of an incredulous expression from his oldest subordinate. "Do you think that's a good idea? The Jinchuriki is…"

"A weapon." Rasa cut in coldly. "This will be the perfect opportunity for Gaara to show her worth. If she can't accomplish this, then she was little more than a failure."

Wolf said nothing else on the matter as he could not find no sound logic to protest his Kage's decision. He was a soldier and he would obey his orders. "Anything else?" Wolf asked simply.

"Not a word of this gets back to Chiyo-sama?"

Wolf didn't need to be told twice. Who knows how the village elder would react at the news. For this operation to succeed everything had to run smoothly.

"Understood."

As the Anbu left his office. Rasa turned his eyes to the windows which overlooked his village, towards his people. It was his duty to protect them and he would.

If Gaara's life was worth forfeiting for such a peace. Then he was all to willing to pay it.

Despite the growing throb in his chest that told him otherwise.

* * *

 _Present_

* * *

Of course Gaara wasn't privy to this information or the discussion her Captain had with her estranged father. What she did know came from the mouth of Wolf who one day had ordered her to take on a new identity for a mission in a village at the farthest edges of the country. In Gaara's mind this was no doubt a punishment made for her mishandling of a situation that could have totally been avoided. I mean how she could have predicted that Anbu armed to teeth would try to take her head. Spurring her to use her automatic defense against them.

Yet she hadn't killed them. Say what you will about her, but Gaara wasn't a murderer and didn't needlessly slaughter to sate some sensational blood lust as hypothesized.

But one thing was for certain, she did not make friends with that performance and likely wouldn't for the rest of her duration in Anbu.

No sooner after that incident had taken place, she was shipped off to a village on the remote outskirts of nowhere under the assumed name Kyo. Her task was supposedly to blend in with the native populous and watch for any signs of suspicious activity. Whatever that could be.

All she was given for the role was a cover story and a scroll that she was told explicitly not to open unless in a severe situation. So she kept it on her at all times, waiting dutifully for something that may never come.

In the meantime, she got to interact with the villagers. All of whom were ordinary civilians who were unconnected with the outside life of a shinobi. A part of Gaara envied them for their ignorance. They were all good people and Gaara could admit that for the first time in this life she was enjoying herself with someone other than Yashamaru.

Completing the count Gaara or Kyo got to work rounding up the kids in a timely fashion. It wasn't hard as the village wasn't that big and there were very few places to hide. She even managed to snag up Hiro first, not without a hint of smug satisfaction in doing so. Within just a few minutes most of the hiders were found, all except one - Takuya. No matter how hard Gaara looked she could not find the kid anywhere.

At first Gaara simply shrugged it off as the girl being a better hider, but as time passed and the game ended. Takuya had still not come out. Now they were all worried.

It didn't take them long to split up to cover more ground with Gaara scouring the area hoping to catch a glimpse of the brunette, getting curious glances from passerby's.

Internally Gaara debated whether or not to use her sand to hasten the search, but quickly discarded that train of thought when by sheer, dumb luck she spots the girl out of the corner of her eye.

Confirming that it was indeed Takuya, Gaara started to make her way over, but halted n her tracks. The girl didn't appear to be in pain or distress of any kind, which eased Gaara worry somewhat. She was okay, smiling even. But it was who she was with that sent off all the wrong warning bells in Gaara's head. A strange man that Gaara hadn't seen before, who undoubtedly didn't live in the village.

The man was young and surprisingly wearing a Suna flak jacket - with a sleeveless undershirt, bandages around both arms, brown pants with an attached colster. Though Gaara had misgivings that this person was affiliated with the village in anyway.

What would a Sand ninja be doing all the way out here? It sent a chill up her spine just thinking about it. This was bad.

The man smiled at Takuya kindly, but his eyes, _his eyes_ were dead, empty. Eyes could tell you a lot about a person. Takuya's was one of youth and blissful ignorance pure as snow that only a child could have, this man's eyes were purposeless like a blank canvas without an artist.

She needed to get Takuya out of her now, then deal with him. She took a breath.

"Takuya-san." Gaara said, keeping her face blank and voice perfectly leveled, strolling up to the brown haired girl and latching onto her arm.

Tankuya blinked at her appearance with a genuine look of surprise on her face. The man regarded Gaara carefully but was not taken back in fact his smile seemed to only grow.

"Takuya-chan." the man said in a gentle tone, "Who might this be?"

"This is one of my friends." The girl chirped, before scrunching up her forehead. "What are you doing here Kyo-chan?"

Gaara had to refrain herself from getting frustrated and chewing the naive girl out on stranger danger. "Hide and Seek." She said simply and watched as Takuya's eyes widen and lips part like a fish.

"I completely forgot." She gasped, tugging at her hair "I'm such an idiot."

Gaara nods affirming her words. "You are, now let's go. Hiro-san and the others are waiting."

"Oh must you?" The man asked, fingering his hands against his _red_ hair. "I was beginning to enjoy my little chat with Takuya-chan."

Gaara eyed the man warily. "Are you a ninja?"

As the man moved to answer, Takuya beat him to it. "He is! Nii-san says he's on a mission." She paused deliberately and adds with a hushed whisper. "A _secrete_ mission."

The main chuckled, clearly mused. "I wouldn't call it a secret, but it is fairly important."

Gaara frowned, giving the man a calculating stare, now she knew he was lying.

Takuya furrowed her brows, however, she seemed to think of something at that moment, a light bulb lighting above her head. "Oh, oh, oh, I know! Why don't you come back to the village with us?" Takuya said, whilst Gaara bristled in clear disbelief.

"Really? I wouldn't want to impose." The man murmured.

Takuya shook her head, "It's not a problem. Everyone will be excited to meet you, right Kyo!"

Gaara didn't answer, the man was silent for a time, probably trying to sort through his options. "Well since you offered, how can I refuse?"

Takuya laughed and Gaara felt her skin begin to crawl, as the girl began to pull on his arm, ultimately dragging him in a certain direction. Gaara trailed behind.

"You'll love the village Nii-san, everyone is super nice!" Takuya babbled on, clearly infatuated with the idea of the man spending time in her village.

The man titled his head. "Please, call me Sasori, after all we are friends."

Gaara froze, she didn't cry, but it was close enough. She'd gone increasingly paler, fear threatening to devour her.

A moment passed.

Then another as sweat broke out on Gaara's face.

 _No._

 _No._

 _No._

 _Please no!_

"I don't like to keeping people waiting, so lets hurry to your _village_ shall we." He said, with a smile.

* * *

 **A/N:** And thus the story gets darker. Speaking of which I'm looking for a new beta for this story, so if anyone's interested PM!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** New Chapter? Go figure.

Seriously, I praise your reviews and read them religiously. So keep them coming!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

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 _"The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."_

~Maya Angelou

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Chapter 6

* * *

 _Fear_

For the first time in this life she was scared.

Everything in her, every instinctual fight or flight mechanism and warning bell in her head was telling her that the man in front of her was dangerous, that he would and could kill her with ease.

There were others tells as well, the worst being his smell. He smelled foul. Like... _blood._ Lots and lots of blood. He reeked of it. Her body instinctively shuddered thinking of the amount of people, the type of casualties one had to inflict for their natural scent to be forever entwined with the fluids of the ones they murdered, no _massacred_.

The chakra that ran through her veins, the part of her that housed some slimmer of the Ichibi was going nuts at the sensation.

Subconsciously Gaara licked her lips and placed a hand over nose to put out the smell as she attempted to control her breathing and push down her more bestial urges.

All the while Takuya chatted away with Sasori. A gullible smile meeting a fake that has been used time and again to lure unsuspecting victims like her to a gruesome end.

Gaara was ashamed to admit that she debated her course of action and whether or not to leave the village to its fate. Even if this had been her supposed mission she wasn't equipped to take on The Red Sand, jinchuriki or not it would be the same as signing away her life. This was the man who had killed Suna's strongest Kazekage, who had racked the ranking of an S class missing nin and who had gone toe to toe against the likes of Orochimaru.

In laments terms she was in way over her head.

"...Kyo-chan?"

Her fake name being called drew her attention. Takuya frowned at her, a look of concern in her gaze as she realized she had stopped moving, lost in her own thoughts. A slight tremble coursed through Gaara's body, which wasn't helped by the fact that Sasori was now staring at her with a look of intrigue.

Gaara swallowed roughly, only tensing when Takuya approached, taking her hands into her owns, while giving a soft smile.

 _One of the few she'd ever received._

That was all it took for her to make her decision, to come to the only suitable solution that wouldn't end with a complete blood bath. Like it or not Gaara knew what she had to do.

She wasn't a child, try as she might to be. She had the body of one yes, but the mind of an adult. So what kind of person would she be if she abandoned an entire village to the hands of a mad man, especially one that had taken her in so easily as it did.

No, reality was cruel, this world was without mercy for the living, but she didn't have to change with it.

They were all good people, better then she deserved really.

Squeezing her... _friends_ hand, she gave a genuine smile that caught Takuya off-guard

Gaara would admit that she found the girl amusing, she would admit to having enjoyed the company of Hiro and the others despite the former being annoying. She would even admit to wishing that she had been reborn in this quiet town where nothing ever happens.

But it was okay, it would all be okay, hopefully everything would work it.

She would protect their smiles and give them no reason to cry. She would be their shield and maybe something else...

"You should go." Gaara said bluntly.

Takuya blinked, surprised at the dismissal. "E-Eh?"

A quick glance away, and then back, Gaara corrects herself. "You should find Hiro and the others." She insists blandly, with a hint of firmness and urgency that Takuya had never seen before. "They'll be worried about you."

Confused, Takuya nodded slowly, turning to Sasori with a fluster. "I'm sorry Sasori-kun, but I have to - "

The man chuckles, giving her a reassuring look. "Don't worry Takuya-chan, I'm sure that Kyo-chan here will be more then the helpful tour guide until you get back."

With that Takuya quickly faces Gaara again who returns her worrying gaze with a pleading one that upsets Takuya, but relents to her friends odd request promising to meet up with them shortly.

It is only one Takuya is a good distance away does the duo continue their slow march towards the village and surprisingly it is Sasori who engages in conversation with her.

"That won't save her you know." Sasori admonishes like a disappointed parent, causing Gaara's eyes to widen. "Sure you bought her a few more minutes of breath, but all those people will die."

Gaara stops and Sasori with her, both stood shoulder to shoulder.

There were many questions the girl wanted to ask the puppeteer next to her, but the one that came to mind was said in a small and frightened tone. "How?"

Sasori doesn't answer immediately, he doesn't even grace a look in her direction, rather admiring the village he plans to purge as if he was preparing to paint a canvas.

"We'll that's a new one, normally they ask why?"

A chill crawled down Gaara's spine at the grin that prompted itself on the face of the man. One that showed pleasure and pride at ones misdeeds.

"The fact that your a ninja is blatantly obvious or perhaps the proper phrase would be pretending to be since your still a little wet behind the ear."

In the blink of an eye he quickly has an arm slung around her shoulder, his face inches a part from hers and a needle filled with a auburn substance pointed directly at her jugular.

She doesn't move, she doesn't dare to as Sasori brushes a hand through her hair and snorts.

"A child...they send a _child_ after me?" He hums pressing the needle closer to her skin. "I was hoping for someone more interesting. I'm in need of new material you see, so a couple of jounin here and there would make a fine addition to my collection. But I guess I expected to much, I thought for sure that the old woman would have at least come."

He paused before sighing, giving her a cumbersome stare in the process.

"If I had to take a guess, this was an attempt from your Kazekage to capture me, correct?" He smirked. "Not a really bright one if you ask me, sending one little girl."

For the most part Gaara remained quite, using the opportunity she was given to slither the grains of sand beneath them into position, lying in wait for the opportunity to strike. Gaara knew, at that moment, despite being under-equipped and severely lacking to move the unmovable object before her she could at the very least try to chip away at it.

Sasori grabbed the girl by the neck, forcing her off the ground without the slightest resistance.

"Now then," He said, unaware of the sand that snaking it's way around his legs. "How would you like to die."

Gaara fought to keep her expression neutral, face straight, despite the disbelief, shock, and confusion raging within her.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I don't kill for the pleasure of it, truthfully I find the whole act to be a bother." Sasori said a matter-of-factly. Something Gaara didn't expect.

At this the jinchuriki couldn't help the words she came to mouth next. "Then why?"

His smile seemed to grow. "There it is, the _'why'._ Well it's quite simple really, I wanted to follow my dreams and your precious village tried to stop me." He pushed the syringe deeper into her skin, leaning his thumb to press down. "It's that simple."

Gaara didn't hesitate, at that moment the sand beneath them began to move, to stir and swirl and surround them in it's embrace. Unsurprisingly Sasori was caught off guard giving Gaara an ample opportunity to activate her automatic defense, assaulting the red head with the swarm of granules that clung to his clothing, and latched themselves to his very pours.

 _Okay so far so good._

She thought, falling to ground in a less then dignified manner as the sand continued to knit around Sasori like a warm sweater. She watched with profound joy and slight confusion as the puppeteer was covered from head to toe in her sand until he was nothing more then a cocoon.

"...Easy." Gaara said, nose furrowing as she approached the mound. "It shouldn't be that easy."

"Maybe that's because it wasn't."

Gaara's head snapped back, right in time to prevent her from becoming skewed as a blade slit through the dome, taking her by surprise as she leap back.

"Nice try." Sasori said as he bared a katana for a hand, clearly not thrilled by Gaara's attempt to bury him alive. "But not good enough." He continued, as he cut himself from his sandy prison and charged her, with an intent to kill

Simultaneously Gaara raised a barrier of sand which didn't do much to deter the already pissed off rogue-nin who proceeded to hack away at her defenses effortlessly.

Gaara was at the end of her wits. She was being overwhelmed and no matter how much sand she poured, Sasori would simply breakthrough. That realization only grew worse when she remembered that he hadn't used a single puppet yet.

The man laughed. "Perhaps there's more to you then what meets the eye." The maniac smiled, shifting his sword into a flame thrower that caused Gaara to go wide-eyed. "Show me more."

And cue a wave of fire that Gaara barely dodges that scorches the earth, leaving nothing untouched.

Gaara clenched her teeth, forming a wall of sand to block the oncoming torrent of flames.

"You can't keep dodging forever girl." Sasori shouted as he extended his other hand, this one a nuzzle of water.

As much as Gaara water wanted to disagree, she knew the pyromaniac was right. She couldn't keep this up forever and sooner than later Sasori would catch her. She was out of options…

 **"Well not all of them."**

Gaara lips thinned

"Shukaku."

 **"Long time know see brat, seems that you've gotten yourself in a bit of a pinch."**

"This doesn't concern you."

 **"Like hell it does, remember were roommates so if you hit the bucket early I'll be scrounging around for another one."**

"I don't need your help." Gaara murmured, with an uncharacteristic undertone of sternness in her voice'. "I do not want your help."

Ignoring Shukaku for the time being, Gaara pulled a kunai out discreetly concealed in her scarf and aimed it at the missing nin, while hiding it from plain view within a ball of sand simultaneously tossed with it.

Sasori didn't so much as bat an eye and spewed a hail of water onto it as he clicked his tongue. "I was starting to think I found something interesting." He pointed his hand at the barricade of sand and washed it away. "But you're beginning to become a sore spot, something utterly unsightly to gaze upon."

Before she could even think through her options, Gaara emerged from her hiding spot with a mass of sand behind her as she raced toward Sasori,

"Pointless." Sasori muttered, effortlessly stalling Gaara's attack with a combination of water that destroyed the sand around her and fire which caused her to reel back in hesitation, giving Sasori plenty of time to land a crushing kick to her sternum as she coughed up spittle and went flying, landing roughly on the floor.

Gaara clenched her throbbing midsection in pain as the sounds of footsteps approached.

"I believe that it's about time we wrap this up." Sasori said, placing a foot on top of her head.

Gaara coughed, wheezing, panting as she squinted out of one eye.

"Pathetic." The man smirked, but there was no humor on his face as he applied more weight to his hold. "Weak." He continued, clearly enamored.

Gaara could offer no refute as at this point trying to stay conscious was becoming more and more taxing.

"Do you know why you lost?"

Gaara looked up at the man before turning downward, saying nothing in return.

"You've never killed anyone have you?" Sasori began, hiding a triumphal smile as Gaara flinched. "You tried to restrain me, possibly cripple, but you didn't have the resolve to take the next step forward."

Sasori slammed his foot down _hard_.

"And because of that, I think I'll save you for last."

He stomps again.

"Consider it a treat."

And again.

"Your about to bare witness to an eternal master piece."

 _Again_

 _Again_

 _Again_

Until Gaara's head was a bloody mess and her body fell limp.

 **"You can't beat him without me."** Shukaku hissed. **"Let me help you."**

She couldn't move. The world was spinning as she opened her eyes, weary.

 **"You need me."**

 _Sasori was getting away, making his way towards the village. He was going to kill everyone, but she couldn't use that power. She wouldn't, she refused, she..._

Gaara grabbed her head, a sickening chakra settling around her.

She grit her teeth. "No."

 _It felt disgusting_

 _It felt wrong._

 _It felt warm..._

"I won't let you." Gaara protested, weakly, as a chuckle responded back -

 **"You don't have a choice."**

And Gaara's world went dark.

Not before an earth-shattering roar ripped through her throat and the ground began to tremble.

* * *

Dread

Unspeakable dread.

Takuya was frozen in her tracks as were many others villagers. Everyone had felt the sudden change. A shift in the air. A calmness abruptly shattered, like the calmness before the story as a sudden heaviness settled on each and everyone of their shoulders that reduced even the strongest of them into a wimping mess. The sheer weight of it forcing her to drop to her knees as though the gravity itself had intensified ten-fold.

Then it stopped, the pressure vanishing.

She gasped for breath, similarly to many others.

The air had grown cold, the lingering feeling of wrongness leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

From then on it hadn't taken long for panic to set in as people scrambled to get there family to safety. Terror and confusion poised on each of their faces.

 _What was going on?_

 _what was happening?_

These were the questions that ate at her and many as as they tried to make sense of what they had just felt.

But it hadn't mattered. None of it did as a ear-shattering roar echoed throughout the land -

And the very desert came to life.

* * *

Sasori was not one to be easily impressed, but this, _this_ took the cake as he stared at the girl in front of him, surrounded by a cloak of spiraling dark chakra.

She was more beast then human at this point as clearly shown from her melding with the very sand, transforming the left side of her body to resonate the monster hidden deep within.

Sasori couldn't help the excitement building in him, a curiosity that couldn't be understood nor sated.

A _jinchuriki_ , he was fighting the host of Shukaku, the Sand Demon.

Being a former ninja of Suna, Sasori was well-verse on how the Great villages loved to keep their pet monsters on a tight leash. So for Suna send theirs to to fight him as young as she was, it meant that they were either really desperate or very, very stupid,

In the end it wouldn't matter. Yes, the girls strength would be maximized and her speed would be tremendous, however it was a double-edge sword, as she was now, she was weaker, more vulnerable to threats. Substituting ration and reason for blind rage and power.

The man sighed as he thought through his options. The odds of him going against a jinchuriki were in his favor especially when the one he was fighting didn't even reach his knee caps. 50-50, if he took into account the Ichibi emerging fully,

Pros: He lives. Cons: He comes out missing his fair share of limbs.

Strong as he might of been he was not disillusion, he was only a man after all. A dedicated man, but only a human going against the wrath of a demon. Surely fighting such odds would be suicidal. Right?

On the other hand there was a small voice in his head, baiting, seducing him to not kill the girl but to make her his own.

 _And wasn't that an interesting thought._

If he was to kill the girl now, then he'd have to deal with the consequences such an act would herald - a higher bounty, more enemies to contend with and many more entrenching on his goals. _And if he were to be killed..._

On the other hand capturing the child opened a world of possibilities - Why let the world bend you when you had the one thing keeping it afloat.

There was a reason why wars rarely happened as often as they should have in the ninja world.

Why villages never fully committed themselves to conquering a nation and sacking it for everything it was worth.

Why despite there being Three World Wars, borders rarely shifted and nothing was ever truly gained except a high body count.

 _It was a balance of power purposely meant to keep a knife at the throats of each of the Great powers._

But what if one of those knives were removed? The Land of Wind was already a stagnating nation, if their one useful asset was to suddenly up and disappear then -

 _Oh, well._

A wicked smile, of pure glee summed up Sasori's choice.

And then he chuckled.

Then laughed, one of amusement, of contentment and child like joy.

He had found his next project. His new work of art..

Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a _certain_ scroll.

One with the kanji symbol for - **Third.**

And the other two - **Wind Shadow.**

Still though - there was no reason why he couldn't begin molding his new pet. To break her and have her submit to him. It would take time and effort, but she was only a little girl and forcing her to fall would be of little consequence.

 **"RAAAARGGGH!"**

And with that the sand began to stir. The girl stood tall on all fours, an animalistic rage smothered across features. Already. parts of her body had changed as claws protruded from her fingers. A deep snarl and fangs forming across pursed lips.

Then the two titans clashed.

And the _land_ shook.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own Naruto!**

* * *

 _"Such is life."_

~ Ned Kelly

* * *

 _Scratch._

 _Scratch._

 _Scratch._

 _Rip._

 _Squeeze_

 _Drip_

 _Drip_

 _Drip_

 _Drop._

 _He sat alone, in a silent room, a quiet home for him and him alone. He preferred it this way. People where a bother, noise was a racket, talking repetitive._

 _Scratch_

 _Scratch_

 _Splat_

 _Yes, this was what he wanted._

 _The hours ticked by, the precious days passing without him ever moving his gaze from his craft. Not that it mattered, he had no one looking for him, and no dared to. They knew how he hated missing a deadline. His work was his masterpiece and like a god breathing life into his creations he was much the same._

 _Click_

 _Click_

 _Click._

 _He took a sharp breath, "Done."_

 _The smell of bleach filled the room, penetrating his nostrils and pricking his eyes. But he ignored it, his task was complete. With his cleaver neatly put off to the side the red head took in the fruits of his labor._

 _It was male, middle aged with pale skin, hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. It was ugly, crude, and unpleasant for any sight. But it was his, not his first, but far from the last._

 _A human puppet._

 _The boy smiled._

 _'Was there truly a more splendid sight to be had!'_

* * *

She awoke.

A groan escaped dry lips as a distinct buzzing echoed in her ears. Everything was a blur as she tried to collect her bearings. The room she was in was unfamiliar, damp and dimly lit with a smell she could not begin to place. Looking down, she saw that her clothes had been changed, replaced with a light gown of sorts. Now she was very confused.

She breathed hoarsely.

How long had she been unconsciousness?

Tiredly she tried to move her prone form. She felt exhausted, her thoughts a bit hazy. There was pain running through her muscles, pain that hadn't, shouldn't have been their due to the Ichibi's influence.

Then it hit her.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in a panic.

…what…?

She was at a loss for words

Her gaze locked firmly on what wasn't, but should have been there. A stump in the place of her left arm.

She swallowed roughly, emotions swirling in her erratic state.

She needed to go – She needed to leave…now!

She yanked the sheets from her body, and stood up from the bed, but not without crashing to the ground. She bit back a whimper, her one good arm wobbling as she tried to regain her footing. Her body heavy and fragile.

It only then occurred to her that she couldn't feel the tailed beast within her, nor could she feel her sand or her chakra. There was nothing, a void of emptiness. She was completely in the dark, a caged animal trapped in a pen. And she did not like it one bit.

"Where am I?" Gaara whispered dragging herself across the floor, while shakily getting to her feet. Sweet bedded down her forehead, but she paid little mind to it.

The girl only made it a few feet from the room before collapsing in a painful heap. Panting breaths of air resembling rasps, escaping every few seconds.

She managed to reach the door, nudging it open as she stepped out into a lit hall, vastly different from what had anticipated.

A luxuries decor decorated her surroundings, lavish comforts that seemed so costly that she would have assumed she was in a house of a nobleman. Her brows scrunched together in confusion, replacing the concern that had begun to foster.

"Oh. Your up."

Gaara's blinked, greeted to the peculiar sight of of a young woman, dressed in a less then modest maids garb. Long hair, dark locks of hair, a flawless complexion with unblemished skin. If not for the obvious signs of her being the housekeeper of this home, Gaara would have mistaken her for royalty of impeccable beauty. Then their were her eyes, a chilling iris of yellow, and vertically split pupils.

She smiled at Gaara, an alluring bewitching tilt of the mouth that had the girl take a step back in apprehension.

"You shouldn't be out of bed. Your still healing." The woman said in an almost motherly tone of voice.

Gaara eyed her warily, before speaking. "Who are you?"

Easy to say it was clear to the jinchuriki that their was something unsettling about this person. Her smile seemed too wide, her expression to perfect, it was almost rehearsed in someway, almost out of place.

"Ara, Ara, how very rude of me." The woman mused with a growing bemusement, "I am the keeper of this home, the only one in fact, but you may call me Nanashi." She curtsied with the upmost beauty. "It is a pleasure to have an honored guest in are company."

Gaara swallowed. What was she supposed to say to this. There was something clearly something going on here. But dwelling on it would have to wait, right now she had bigger priorities to contend with.

She opened her mouth, but flinched at the scope of her wounds.

"You should have heeded by warning." The maid said with a light scolding. "Come with me and I shall tend to your injuries."

She really, really wanted to refuse, but the onset of another piercing pain - what choice did she have.

"...Fine." Gaara reluctantly agreed. But refused Nanashi's assistants on carrying the girl due to her obvious discomfort of being at the mercy of a potential enemy.

It was only when they had settled back in the dreary room that Gaara had awaken in did the maid finally speak.

"I would ask you refrain from doing something that foolish again." Nanashi said, as she began the process of changing Gaara's bandages. "You might have undone your stitches."

Again Gaara frowned.

That should not have been possible. She had never been hurt, injured yes, but never mortally wounded. Regeneration was apart of all tailed beasts, A small perk for being turned into a monster and slated by those you were sworn to protect.

At the last wrapping, Nanashi kept on her smile. "Please do make yourself comfortable, I'll inform the master of your awakening and perhaps a meal, yes?"

She left without a response and Gaara could only sigh, stretching out a limb that was no longer intact or useful by any means. She'd have to get used to it. Managing would be difficult considering that she was left handed.

Gaara let out another uneasy breath and leaned more comfortably within her bed rest. A number of thoughts swirled inside her head, that left room for more open ended questions.

There was brief silence, then the steady, rhythmic sound of soles clasping against the floor boards put her on guard. It couldn't have been Nanashi, the steps were to heavy to be the petite woman. Each one reverberated around her, making it abundantly clear that someone was coming her way.

Upon getting to the door there was a short pause as if the person was somehow aware of her trepidation. Then -

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

Gaara grew startled and stared at the door dubiously for a bit longer than necessary.

"Uh...come in?"Gaara murmured, unsure what to make of the situation.

It was one she'd later come to regret.

He daintly entered her vision, his bright red hair an off-putting trademark. Instinctively her fingers curled against the fabric of the bed. Her knuckles turning a ghostly pale as her eyes widened.

He smiled at her reaction, an otherwise lazy sort of demeanor that seemed otherwise natural on his complexion.

"Nice to see you too." He chuckled, allowing a grin to spring forth. "Then again we didn't meet in the most favorable of circumstances."

At her lack of response his smile seemed to grow sharper.

Gaara's eyes narrowed. Her soft, yet firm voice seemingly exciting the man further.

"Sasori of the Red Sand."

He took a mock bow and looked at Gaara with a gaze that made her want to take a bath.

"In the flesh, although I believe we weren't well acquainted the last time we spoke Kyo-chan." Sasori titled his head, puzzled more than anything. "Or should I say Gaara-hime?"

She had no idea what her reaction had said at that bit of information, but whatever it was, it had been all the confirmation that Sasori needed.

"Stupidity at it's finest, ne?" He said flippantly, pulling out a chair from the back corner of the room, placing himself upon it. "Then again Ninja village aren't quite renowned for their smarts. Take your dear old father for example. Involving his youngest daughter in black ops operations. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I guess trying to kill you wasn't enough. He had to get outside help to succeed!"

Gaara was anything, but enthralled. She was still trying to get a grip over...well what ever this was.

"But I have to say, bad track record so far. Failing the mission and getting caught by the enemy, all in the same day doesn't make for an impressive resume" He snorted.

"What do you want, missing nin." Gaara said coolly.

He stared at her as if the was an oddity that had to be torn anew to understand.

Then he spoke -

"You."

Gaara blinked, letting those words sink in.

 _What._

 _What._

 _What!_

Her confliction must have been noticeable because Sasori seemed rather immersed at her bewilderment.

"I want to understand you _Jinchuriki_ , but most of all I want to make you mine."

Gaara's gaze turned venomous. "I will not be another one of your puppets."

Sasori for his part seemed genuinely surprised, which made her all that more cautious.

"You misunderstand, although it would be more beneficial for me to kill you and skin you alive." Gaara felt sick. "I want more then that."

"More?" Gaara's nose furrowed.

"Enlighten me, what precisely do you know of the creature the dwells within you?"

Gaara's lips thinned. _'More then you know less then I liked too.'_

At her silence, Sasori continued. "Peculiar isn't it. We know little of the origins of these beasts, but we seal them within are own like a passing trend." He seemed think over something before continuing. "You can go across the farthermost corners of the elemental nations and their tales will very in between."

Sasori locked his sights on the girl.

"But one thing is certain. Those who possess the beast and master their strength have the power to change the world."

Gaara opened her mouth, but, slowly, she shook her head and stopped herself.

"Power can corrupt." Gaara said matter of factly.

Sasori nodded. "Ah, but only when governed by fools."

Gaara closed her eyes, slowly, doing her best to ignore the mans words. But try as she might, apart of her could not help, but agree with his assessment.

"A jinchuriki has never had a choice. Neither to host the demon or how they're treated afterwards." His eyes seemed to linger. "They aren't even given the benefit to choose how they die."

"And I suppose you understand?"

Again he shook her hand."Of course not nor will I ever expect to. All of this is a simple evaluation of a cruel system."

"Coming from the man who severed by arm." She accused.

"To be fair you did try to maim me several times."

Gaara's heated gaze vanished as she stared back at the man with intrigue, Sasori rolled his eyes at her bafflement."

"I've did my research into you and never once have you grown up with any form of training, inept or otherwise." Sasori smirked. "You were raised a bird without a wing to soar, constantly grounded, never fully able to achieve your full potential. "

Gaara tightened her hand into a fist. "Why me?"

Without warning, Sasori was at her side, an exciting smile pulling his at his lips. "Because were the same, even if you'll never admit it. Just as I yearned for something more then the village could provide, you too wanted to break the shackles that bonded you."

"That's...not...true..." Garra hissed, unable to believe the gall of this man. "I'm nothing like you."

"Mm, perhaps now." His hands passed through her light locks. "But time has a way of changing people."

"You can't keep me here!" She shouted.

His response chilled her to the bone. "Of course I will because I can. Your crippled, powerless, and defenseless. I hold your life in my hand little one and it is mines to do as I please."

His words cut into her like a butter knife.

"So eat, rest, relax, and tomorrow we'll see about replacing that arm of yours."

He left, shutting the door behind him.

And Gaara finally screamed.

* * *

Of course he wasn't surprised to see the maid standing guard outside. A bowl of soap in hand, waiting for his meeting for his guest to end.

"Nanashi." He said curtly.

"Sasori-sama." She smiled back as they both heard the cries of the little girl in their company. "I hope your talk went well." She said knowingly

"Were making progress. The sooner she accepts her situation the sooner we may proceed."

Nanashi eyes twinkled. "She will try to escape."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." Sasori said truthfully. "Then again it will be your job to stop her wouldn't it."

"Fu, fu, fu." She smirked. "Not much of a challenge. Was it really necessary to seal away all the girls chakra."

"We couldn't have anymore surprises." Sasori spoke curtly. "Besides, the type of seal I used was more of a patch up of the original. Call it a test if you will. I refuse to allow her to remain complacent on the Tanaki's strength,

"Mou, and here I thought my young lord was growing soft."

Sasori clicked his tongue and began to walk off. "Just be sure you see to the girl."

It was only a matter of time, and patience, like tending to a wilting flower until it finally blossomed. All it would take was a gentle hand, false promises and a little deceit here and there.

And she would be _his._

* * *

 **I'm going to be keeping this ambiguous as possible. There's a lot of stuff happening behind the scenes and oh boy, oh boy there will be a shit storm coming. That I can guarantee. Because you can't just steal a jinchuriki and not expect any fall out. It's the equivalent of nuke going missing. Everyone loses their minds!**

 **A/N:** Were on the edge of the abyss and there's no were else to go but down.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Well what can I say better late then never. I promise I'll try not to make this a frequent thing. Now onto the chapter!

 **WARNING: Dark content ahead, if any of you are squeamish and detest unnecessary amounts of blood and violence now is the time to put on all life preservers and jump-ship.**

* * *

 _"That little girl was dead and in her place stood a cold-blooded killer."_

~ Reyna Pryde

* * *

Chapter 8

* * *

Truthfully, he found the situation he was in more amusing than it was bothersome. The ramifications of his actions hadn't fully sunken in yet until his contacts within Suna had reported their findings.

In short; He was officially public enemy number one, with a kill on sight order and higher bounty placed on his head. The realization that he not only undermined his former home, but stripped it of its main defense would have made him in a more amiable mood if it wasn't for the fact that he was now the most wanted man in all of wind country.

Sunagakure was officially on lock-down, its forces scattered to hunt and kill, and its borders sealed off from any and all outsiders in attempt to block his escape.

The more he heard, the more his smile widened. He had expected this of course. For Suna to let emotions dictate their course of action rather than allow caution and patience to play its hand. It was an all too familiar sight, one reminiscent of when their Sandaime went missing and they scurried like vermin in a fruitless effort to save him.

Still through – there was no reason for him to panic. His spy network had remained intact throughout all of this, intel that would have normally been for the Kazekage and his inner council ears only, were now in _his,_ as was their precious jinchuriki.

Speaking of which, Gaara was far from the pristine weapon he had envisioned. Quite the opposite, her level of defiance was…an unwelcoming surprise.

His lips pursed, as he leaned back further in his chair and pondered the girl he had taken in.

He didn't want to force her to his side nor did he wish to brainwash her to do his bidding.

Originally his intentions had been for the child to see Suna for the monstrous system of evil that it was and perhaps use the village's hatred of her to lure her closer to him. But, the loss of her arm, and her disgust at his methods had put a damper on that idea. For all her apparent apathy for the world around her, the girl was frustratingly incorruptible.

No, not incorruptible, just _naïve._

A small difference, but not troublesome all the same. Considering her age he'd been led to believe that simple honeyed coated words and a lie here and there would be all that it took to convince her. However, that was far from the case.

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose in slight irritation, as he fought to keep his temper in control. There was still much to do and unfortunately he had little time to be idle. Just a rumor, a word of mouth of what transpired and the other villages would take notice. And when they did and when they discovered that Suna was without its jinchuriki, they will cast aside all other treaties and peace obligations and take up arms without constraint and war would resume once against to devour the world.

It was for that sole reason that he was charged with only kidnapping the Kazekage's youngest child, her identity as the retainer of the Ichibi only disclosed to the people of the Sand, and that certainty wouldn't be changing anytime soon if he had anything to say about it.

"Sasori-sama." A feminine voice called out to him. The man sighed, turning his attention to the yellow-eyed maid standing at the door, starring at him stoically. "Am I interrupting a private moment?"

The red-head frowned.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching the girl." It wasn't a question nor was there any hint of accusation or irrational judgement in the man's tone. After all, he's known the maid long enough to know that she was impeccable when it came to handling the tasks given to her.

"The girl is asleep and I have my summons watching over." She responded.

Sasori nodded. "I suppose that's for the best…"

A thick silence filled the room.

"What?"

"You seem troubled?" Nanshi offered a polite smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She quirked a brow. "…It is clear to me that events aren't transpiring as you would have favored. The child…"

"Is of no concern. She will come around."

 _She had no choice, but too._

Nanashi shook her head. "You don't believe that. You can't believe it. The girl is different in comparison to the others you have taken. While they would have cried, begged, and offered explicit favors in exchange for release from their captivity, the girl does none of this. Despite being powerless, she is defiant, she gazes upon you not with fear nor resentment, but with indifference, and disobedience."

"And what would you suggest? Threats, torture, further mutilation." Sasori listed off irritably.

"No, that will only further complicate things and increase her aversion of us. She already see's you as an enemy. Someone who took her power from her, who took her arm from her, who took her from everyone and everything she ever cherished."

"What would you have me do, then?" Sasori scowled. "As you've clearly seen nothing works. She spits at my hospitality, scoffs at my good intentions, and snarls at my presence."

"And here I thought you were smarter than this." She sighed and Sasori nearly rose to his feet in rage. "Do you know why the girl rejects you? Why she reviles your mere existence as if it were a curse. Your aim was to let the girl see you as a liberator, a hero freeing a helpless princess from a ruthless tyrant, but from the very beginning you presented yourself as just another jailer bent on controlling the beast within, while seeing the girl and the demon as one in the same."

Sasori remained quiet, knowing she was right.

"What would you have me do?" He repeated, his tone more resigned, if not dejected.

Nanashi smile never wavered, her eyes appearing to glow readily with anticipation.

"I have a few ideas, but the first step is simple… _break her._ "

Sasori blinked at the odd choice of words. "Break her? What am I exactly supposed to break?"

The maid titled her head, a pouting look adorned her face, which held both amusement and dark intent, as if the answer itself was obvious.

"Why her _innocence_ of course…"

* * *

He came again, like he did every morning. Of course she never gave him the time of day. She knew what he wanted, what he craved from her was no different from what other men wished to obtain. Power, control, some absurd conception of godhood. The Redhead would try to tempt her, flatter her with empty compliments and words that would be convincing if she didn't know his character. Without fail she rejected him, each more aggressive than the last. It came to a point where she even refused the synthetic arm he'd had crafted for her, declaring she rather be crippled for life then to ever accept anything from him. Which was why she was more than a little wary when Sasori appeared suddenly, without warning, or an explanation and asked her to follow him – the look and forcefulness of his request made it sound more like an order.

With him leading and her trailing far behind, the two walked to a part of the estate, which Gaara hadn't recognized, mostly due in part to her unwillingness to wander in unseen territory, but unlike the rest of the egregiously sized manor which held an air of cleanness and albeit a welcoming air, this one was dilapidated and chilling. In spite of not having any access to her chakra, thereby her heightened senses, Gaara could still feel the wrongness that surrounded them. And it was terrifying.

Before she could question it further they had come to a single rusted door that stood at the edge of a dark hall, with a casual thrust of his hand the seals that secured the secrets behind it came undone.

"After you." Sasori smiled sincerely or at least what came close to one. Gaara was never sure nor did she care to tinker with the idiosyncrasies of a madman. Without a passing glance she entered, eager to be done with the man's twisted game.

The room was freezing, resembling a storage deposit or a large refrigeration unit as she passed loads of crates, and other boxes riddled with ice. Yet, Sasori continued on, until they came across a large metallic structure, a cage, where slowly Gaara could start to make out low, audible groans of agony. Then her heart dropped.

"…Welcome to my workshop." Sasori said with pride. Hesitantly Gaara took a step forward, seeing a dozen or so children, all of them varying in age. The oldest couldn't have been older then twelve. They were huddled together, dressed in rags, most looked on the verge of death.

"W-What is this?" Gaara whispered, fearful of the answer.

"My Lab" Sasori said with a fondness that was all too disturbing. "It's were I've completed my best work."

"I mean," She gritted. "Who are these children?"

"Material." Sasori said nonplussed. "Neglected, unwanted, or discarded subjects I've come across on my travels."

Gaara's lips thinned. "And why are we here?"

His smile seemed to widen further.

"I've come to an epiphany." He said, squatting down to her level as she backed away warily. "I see now that my way of doing things would never work with you, you're a wild card, a polished gem, to pure and delicate for this world. In other words you're incorruptible"

"…Okay." Gaara frowned, disturbed by the man's sudden change in theatrics. This quickly turned into confusion as he handed her a kunai.

Sasori nodded. "So to fix that I want you to kill all these children!" He said cheerfully.

 _What!_

"Use the kunai and stabbed their little hearts, slit their jugulars, or if you're feeling really bold draw it out. True art holds no bounds."

Gaara blinked, at the expecting look he gave her.

 _Did he really believe that she'd go along with this?_

Her eye's narrowed. "No." She said softly, but firmly as she dropped the kunai.

The smile never left his face, as though her response was expected. "I was afraid you'd say that, which is why it was never up for you to decide." He said, rising to his feet as he made his way towards the cage before unlocking the latch.

One by one the children were ushered out, glancing at Sasori then at her with a variety of emotions ranging from hope to despair. Soon enough every child was brought out and just as quickly each found themselves in possession of a kunai.

Confusion etched itself on their malnourished faces.

"Tell me children," Sasori with a knowing smirk. "Do you want to go home, to see your families and loved again?"

Their eyes widened, briefly the light returned to those once hopeless gazes.

"I can give that to you. I can let you all go… _however_ there is only one little thing I want you to do for me first?"

"What is it?" One of the braver one of them said as the others hurriedly followed suit. "Well do anything Sasori-sama! Anything!"

"Good boys and girls." Sasori cooed. "All I want you to do…" He turned to Gaara. "…is kill that girl. Kill her and you can all go home, kill her and you can all have your freedom."

A minute passed then another…

Gaara face grew white as she realized all too late the man's intentions. "Sasori don't -"

Too late.

The children didn't hesitate. Not when the freedom they had long abandoned laid just within reach. Without care or seconds thoughts they charged, hunger and desperation driving them beyond any point of reasoning.

Seeing this, Gaara knew that talking would lead to nowhere. These children were inconsolable, months or perhaps years of captivity made their actions justifiable as they circled her from every corner like a swarm of bloodthirsty vultures.

"RAAAGGHH!"

With a war cry one them, a boy charged her, the kunai clumsily gripped in his hand as Gaara pulled back. She could see the panic in his gaze, the torment, and cruelty that he had no doubt suffered and she couldn't help, but pity him.

At his second attempt to jab the blade into her heart she ducked and swept her legs under his, causing him to topple to the floor. This momentary victor was soon interrupted as she felt a tremendous weight tackle her from behind. The others soon capitalized on her weakness and pounced. Two held her legs, one pressed her shoulders down as another stood over her, poised and ready as he plunged the accursed blade into her stomach.

She let out a cry of pain and disbelief as the weapon came down again and she coughed up blood.

"KILL HER!"

"KILL HER!"  
"KILL HER!"

The children were shouting now, elation evident in their faces as something within her just snapped - !

 **"DIE!"**

Rage, unbridled raw fury, fueled her.

Like a girl possessed Gaara shot up, neglecting the hole in her gut as she wasted no time in smash her head into the nose of the boy in front of her, sending him rolling back with a sickening crack, as the bone shattered. She followed up by wrenching the kunai off his blooded form and descending upon the others like a demon from hell as she saw red.

Despite their best efforts the children were still weak, emaciated, and experienced in comparison to her. Adrenaline pumped through Gaara's veins as she embedded the blade into the eye socket of another child, before turning around and slashing out the throat of a stunned girl as a red brighter than any she'd ever seen squirted out of the severed artery.

Savagely Gaara tore through the group, instincts driving her as she systematically decimated all those gathered, one by one until she was bathed in blood.

"W-wait – P-Please - I-I -"

The red fog that consumed her slowly dissipated as Gaara's gaze fell on the last person left. A little girl who couldn't have been older than six, looking at her with a profound horror. Gaara felt ill, the weight of the world crashed on her shoulders as she looked around her. There were bodies. A lot of dismembered bodies. The bodies of children. Children whose lives were cut short, who'd never had a chance to live. And now they were gone, forever… _because of her._

The kunai in her hand clattered the ground as she stepped forward and extended a hand out, her intention to comfort the girl. The child looked to the kunai in her hand shakily, then let out a whimper.

"Daddy…Mommy…"

With little hesitation the girl slid the sharp metal across her throat. She opened her mouth, but no scream came, just blood, that dripped from her lifeless body that collapsed like a marionette without its strings.

Shocked, Gaara fell to her knees, the energy drained from her.

 _What…did…I…do?_

"Excellent work Hime, I never had any doubt that you'd succeed." Sasori said, standing over her. "It's the way of the world, the weak are simply nourishment for the strong, they had their chance and they failed. It was only natural that this be the result."

Gaara didn't respond, her eyes clouded over and she lurched over and threw up her insides.

Sasori let out a sigh. "You may hate me, you may curse me, you may even revile me if you must." He began watching the girl without emotion. "I care very little. Just no that when all is said and done, you'll thank me."

He left without another word, satisfied as left the grieving girl a shell of her former-self


End file.
